Tonight on WWE NXT: The competition is heating up. With only two weeks before the first vote is conducted, seven of the eight rookies get the chance to impress their pros. Some fare better than others. Should be a good one!

And we are LIVE! from Los Angeles, Calif. Michael Cole and Josh Mathews are our commentators. Matt Striker is our host. This show is presented in WWEHD (TV-PG, V)

Lots of double team spots from Hardy and Gabriel early. They control most of the match until Gabriel misses a top-rope splash and Young takes over.

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We're back and Punk and Young are controlling Gabriel, but Gabriel fires up with some back elbows. Snap mare for two. Gabriel takes Young down and goes for the 450 Splash but Young rolls out of the way. Young tags Punk, who comes in for a near fall. Punk locks in a a leg scissors and Gabriel elbows his way out. Punk knocks Hardy off the apron trades tags with Young. Punk back in and he springboards off the top rope but Gabriel drop kicks him and tags Hardy. Hardy hits a bulldog for two and the Side Effect for another near fall. Hardy goes to the middle rope but Punk bails and tags Young and Hardy immediately goes on the offensive. Hardy clotheslines Young over the top rope. Gabriel comes over but is hit by Luke Gallows.

Gallows goes to attack Hardy with Serena distracting the referee, but Hardy hits him with a Side Effect and rolls Young back into the ring. Hardy looks for the Twist of Fate, but Gallows jumps on the apron distracting the referee, which allows Punk to come in and hit the GTS on Hardy. With the deed done, Young gets the fall.

Winners via pinfall: CM Punk & Darren Young

Gallows rolls Gabriel into the ring and destroys both him and Hardy. Young celebrates with Punk but then Gallows kicks Young and hits his finish on their own rookie.

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Match #2 - Daniel Bryan (Aberdeen, Wash.) vs. The Great Khali (India)

This match-up has been arranged by The Miz.

Bryan works a guillotine on Khali and drops him to his knees and then drops him with kicks. Bryan goes to the top rope and gets chopped out of the air by Khali. Khali finishes him with the tree slam and pins him with one foot.

Winner via pinfall: The Great Khali

Khali is celebrating when The Big Show's music hits. He comes down and choke slams Bryan and walks back out.

Best part about this match is Chris Jericho going over to commentary and yelling at them to talk about Barrett. Mathews responds, "We are!" and Jericho yells right back, "More!" I laughed.

As for the match, not much to it. Barrett picks up the win with a big slam.

Winner via pinfall: Wade Barrett

Matt Bishop can be reached at bishop20@msu.edu. Please include your name and hometown. Click here to follow Matt on Twitter. And if you're interested in mixed martial arts, check out Matt's weekly podcast -- Lights Out Radio. Should be a good one!.